James Denseiow

This week marks the end of one of the most roller-coaster administrations in US political history. Trump has made such a unique mark on the White House that it almost seems strange to think of the building and its most powerful occupant reverting to more traditional methods of governing.

The focus on President Biden will mean that the bandwidth of attention that Trump currently commands with inevitably decline. However, prior to Biden’s inauguration and following the incredible events with the storming of the US Capitol, Trump was already shorn of one of his most effective mouthpieces when he had his Twitter account suspended indefinitely.

Suddenly at the flick of a switch from a Social Media megacorporation, the 45th President of the United States of America was unable to communicate directly with almost 90 million people. Trump’s use of the platform in his journey from gameshow host to Republican candidate to the most powerful man on the planet with surely be studied forensically in the years to come, but for now the focus is on the rights and wrongs of the decision to remove him from it.

Trump averaged around 276 tweets per month. The most active 10% of users on Twitter, which account for 80% of the total content, had a median of 138 tweets per month. Using this megaphone, often from the sanctity of his private residence or even whilst on the golf course, Trump was able not only to shape international events but crucially able to shape the understood nature of reality itself for many of his followers.

When he took over the Presidency, he had 20 million followers, today questions are circulating as to whether he will create his own social media channel, or try and join lesser-known existing networks and turn them into his own fiefdom. In the process of being impeached for the second time, Trump’s opponents cited his direct command and control of the narrative leading up to the storming of the Capitol.

The beauty of Twitter is that it gives us data and trends that allow an insight into the President’s behaviour in a way that we never had for any of his predecessors. Such an authentic method of communication likely bonded Trump to many of his supporters in ways that traditional media struggles to do. Following defeat in the election in November Trump took his use of Twitter to an entirely new domain, it was almost as if he had cancelled much of the normal business and running of the country to focus on running a campaign from his smartphone to overturn the results.

In December 2019, he tweeted more than 600 times — an average of 58 times a day. For years Trump’s critics have been pushing for Twitter to take a tougher stance on his messages. Many could be argued to incite violence or be otherwise incendiary. In turns of factual untruths, the numbers are in the thousands. Yet it took the institutions of US democracy themselves to be breached and for people to be killed directly after a Trump rally for Twitter to take the steps they did, surely with half an eye on the countdown clock to him being out of office.

It was a decision they could not have taken lightly. The share price of Twitter fell by some 7% directly after the Trump ban and politicians and commentators from across the political spectrum ramped up talk of new regulations to come in future on potentially muzzling the power of social media companies.

A Rubicon does fell like it has been crossed. If social media companies feel they have both the mandate and power to censor or flag the opinions and words of democratically elected leaders, is that not a recognition of the immense power they have in free societies? And therefore, how are they truly being held to account?

Regardless of your politics, the period of the Trump Presidency has shown that the power and influence of social media companies across all parts of US politics and society at large is beyond any conceptions had when they were launched. A wider debate is needed as to how the internet and its tools are proactively and passively dividing communities into echo chambers and sites were manipulation and untruths are rife. Trump was able to use Twitter for so long in such a way simply because he could and perhaps nobody imagine a US President would, in the future new norms and rules are needed to harness such incredible influence.

Europe worries about Turkey, Grey Wolves and Erdogan Lebanon central bank governor denies allegations against him: statement

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.